Puncture-proof tire.



EUGENE .i o. TIMERMAN,

wir@ STATES PATENT OFFICE or sYnAoU-snNEvv ronnAssreivoRjoF ONE-THIRD To Louise.

' PUNo'rURE-Pnooiimmn.

To all whomii may concern:

.Beit known that I, EUGENE J. Ci`.,'I,"1iriin` MA, a citizen oi the United States, residing at Syracuse, in the county of Onondaga and for automobiles, and has` for its object the"4 Stateof New-York, have invented certain new and useful Imprvements in Puncture- Proof Tires, of which the vfollowing isa specification.4

This invention relates to'improvements inv tires, designed for use rin connection with vehicle fwlieels, and the invention relates particularly to a pneumatic tire such as used providing yof a shield or protector, to be applied between the oii'tercasing 'and the an' tube ofthe common double tube tire, for the Y purpose of rendering the tire puncture-proof nular vbelt or apron, and disposedin the connected to the rear halt of each shell, forarmor plates and woven metal guys.

and also to prevent the same .from blow#A The invention l'consists of a hollow outer casing preferably made of rubber, or rubber and fiber capable offbeingreadily attached to the rim of a'- Wheel, and lan inner pneumatic tube adapted tor insertionjin the outer casing.

The invention further consists 'of a' series oi?l novel metallic armor or mailparts, pref#- erably made of hard steel, in the vform of v arc-shaped segments or shells, and arranged to` overlap. each other' to form an annular lshield or protector. vvThe said armor is disposed in a hol-low compartment formed between the outer and inner walls of ther tire casing, in a position to -covcr and protect the inner-tube from puncture.

The invention further consists ot ra .Woven nictal part, arranged in the form ofan anhollow compartmentof the casing on each side of the tire beneath the metallic shells, the upper edge of each Woven belt being gnying the armor andliolding the same centrally withrespect `to the head of the tire.

Each woven metal portion has fa series of v equally-spaced stout chain-like strands connected at their upper ends to one end of the shells, their lower ends being secured by anchor-bolts embedded in the material comprising the`casin0. v.

The invention iurther consists ofv a leather casing or jacket which entirelyincloses the said leather casing is employed for holding the metallic parts in place, and alsogfor pre- Specicati-on of'Letters Patent. Appiieaaqn med July s1, isos.` serial No.' 446,238.

.structed of any preferably made of rubber or like substance,

The

1 Patented June 1, 1909.

side View of av Wheel With double tube tire, a

portion of the same being inl section, showing theconstruction and arrangement of the shield and related partsi Fig. 2 is an enlarged cross section substantially on the line 2?-2 ofy Fig. l showing the mannerV of constructing and disposing the armor plates and the anchor chains; also showing the leather .casing forv the metallic parts. F ig. 3 is an enlarged detail section substantially on the lineB-S of Fig. 2, showing the manner of vover-lapping the armor shells; also showing the construction and manner of applying the'woven. metal parts which hold thc armor shells in place. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one of the'armor shells. Fig. -5 is an enlarged detail section, taken partly on line Lt-4, and partlyV on line 5-5 of Fig. 2,

showing the method of securing the leather casing to the .lower edges of the woven Wire; also showing the manner of applying the anchorbolts.

Similar characters of reference designate corresponding parts throughout the several In the drawings,` 2 represents a wheel, which maybe constructed in anyy suitable manner, but preferably having a metallic rm3, provided with inwardly turnedlips 4,

for 'engaging and holding the outwardly formed anges or hooks 5 of the outertire casing 6. The tire casing 6 may be vconsultable material, .but 1s such as commonly used for the casings or shoes of `automobile tires. The` casing 6 is preferably ,made as `herein sliwn vand described, the inner circumferential Wall ncxt tothe rim beingprovided with an annular Asplit or opening Zfor inserting an air tube 8,'which may be constructed in any suitable manner.

9, Svrepresents' a series of arc-shaped armor Y shells or parts designed particularly for proytecting andshielding the pneumatic tube 8, v for preventi'ng puncture inl the same. The

` shown in Fi s.

` 4to the tread tended to be applied, as shown in the draw. ings, the said segments orV shells' preferablyoverlapping each other in regular order, as 1 -and'3, and a' suticient nu1n= ber provide to form an annular shieldl or protector, which encircles the wheel outsideA ofthe inner tube. It is preferred in apply ing theshellst) to overlap them tothe extent of about one half the length lof each. The

shells are not connected to each other, except in overlapping them, the underside of one shell contacts with the upper side of the preceding one. Y .I

In .order to. hold the shells or segments 9 in operative'position centrally with respect of the Wheel, I provide two annular anchor belts or sections of woven metal 10, preferably consistingof steel wire, which-connect at theirupper edges to the oppositel edgesy of the shells 9, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3; the opposite edges of one end of each shell beingfperforated, as at 16, to receive the upper links of the anchor belt, rl`he woven-wire parts 10 are provided at regular intervals with heavy transverse chain-like strands l1, which are inter-woven with the lighter links of the belts and also connect' at their upper ends with the shells 9, as indicated at 12. The lower ends of the chains 11 connect with anchor bzolts or studs 13, having fiat circular heads 14, which are embedded in the rubber of the outer casing, as indicated at l5 in Fig. 2. AThe perfora-l tions lt preferably extend about one half the length of the shells, as shown, and each shell is perforated and connected with the l two anchor belts in the same manner, as,t

shown in Fig. 8. It being characteristic of all inflated tire to tlatten out somewhat at the point of the tread, it is necessary to apply the armor segments `9 so that they may readilyA conform to the tiattening of the tire. To this end the free end of a shell which overlaps the adjacent shell' is alloweda certain amount of freedom, in order that they may yield in a suitable manner when the weight of the vehicle is thrown upon them.

In order to support and hold the segments i) and the woven aprons 10 in place, and also to prevent these hard metallic parts from cutting or otherwise injuring the casing (3, I provide a leather or rawhide case or jacket 17, 'which entirely incloses the-metallic shells and belts. As shown in Fig. v2, the leather` envelop 17 is preferabl \v made in two parts,

lone formingt'he outer, and the other forming the inner sides, and the free edges are brought together at eachside of the central split T of casing G, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5.v

The leather sections are then stitched or otherwise suitably secured to each other,

also to the lower edges of the Wire belts, as

shown bythe numerals 18-in Fig. 5.l The only. portion of the metallic parts which is not mclosed 1n the leather jacket 17 is the outer ends of the anchor bolts '14. ln mak-v ing up and assembling the armor and anchor belts for-incorporation with the outer casing 6, these parts are all securely connectedto eachother and. inclosed in the leather jacket 17, in the exact form and arrangement in which the parts are intended tolbe ready for operation. The leather Acase containing the metallic parts is then placed in a mold, the same as alcore in ordinary casting. The

'rubber vcomprising the outer casing 6 is then applied to the mold, in melted orA plastic form, in a ina-nner to envelop or inclose the said parts, as shown in Fig. 2. In arranging the parts' for casting the casing 6, as just described, the heads `of the anchorbolts are disposed so that when the castI of the casing (3 is complete, bolts are exposed along the oppositely facing edges of the opening 7, as shown in Figs. 2 and 5. Under this method of constructing the outer casing, owing to the disposition of the steel armor and anchor belts, the outer wall off'the casing 6l is preferably made heavy, to stand the wear and tear which a tire of this class may be subjected to. .The

the heads 14 of the anchor inner wall G is preferably madethinner, bei

cause this .part of the casing is rarely subjected to any very great strain, and besides it receives considerable support from the iuner-tube 8, and also the inner section or wall of the leather casing 1.7.

A great deal of trouble, annoyance and expense has been occasioned in the past b y the frequent puncturing of the pneumatic tubes of automobile tires, and many seriousl and fatal accidents have occurred by reason of the exploding of the tires when the cars ,have been operated at high speed over rough roads. As hereinbefore explained, the anchor belts or aprons 17, are employed particularly for hold-ing the steel shells 9, in true position between the walls of the casing t3, so that they may afford a' complete protection against the puncturing of the inner t'ube. The anchor belts are also intended for another important purpose, namely, .to prevent the bursting or blowing up of the tire. Under the construction'and disposition of the armor and woven anchorbelts, which practically surround the air tube 8, when the easing is properly fitted to the rnn, and the inner tube is inflated by high pressure, the latter will exert a sutlicienti force against the inner .circumferential side ofthe casing, to render the tire proof against bursting as well as displacement. j

It is obvious that some changes or inodtications may be made. in the parts within the scope detiened by the appended claims, and l therefore do not restrict myself to the preexible armor arran I l .in the leather jacketfatthe outer portlon thereof, flexible belts at o posite sides of the tire and connected at t e outer portions thereof with the armor at the edgeso the latter, and means connecting the adjacent` edges of the section-of the leather jacket to-f gether and to the iiexible belts aforesaid.

2. In combination, a tire comprising an outer casing split or vdivided vat its inner peripheral portion, an air tube in said'casing, a leather jacket comprising inner and outer sectionsv embedded in the outer casing, an .annular protector comprising a jiexible armor located between the sections of the a pair of dexible belts connected at their outer edges with the opposite edges .ofj the protector, stitching connecting the opposite adjacent edges of thesections ofthe leather jacket and also connecting these poro leather jacltet at its outermost portion,' l

' tions of the jacket with the lower or inner' `:outer casing.l

edges of the ilexible belts, and anchor bolts connected with the `flexible belts and embedded in the inner divided portions of the 3. A tire of the class described, compris-L ing a hollow outer easing capable of being fitted to the rim of a wheel, the said easing having its inner circumferential side split for the insertion of a pneumatic tube, and having an annular `closed. compartment arranged concentric to the tube, a series of o anchor-chains inter-woven with said belts,

thecorresponding chains of zeach belt connectin at theirV upper ends to one end of each s xell, their lower ends fitted with anchorbolts embedded in the material ofA said casing, and a leather' casing to inclose said armor-shells andy said anchor belts.

4. In a puncture-proof tire, the combina- --tion with a wheel rim and a pneumatic tube, of an outer casing adapted to be attached to the rim and to inclose the said tube, a uncture-proof armor comprising a series o .arcshaped shells vforming an annular part, disposed in the'wall of said outer casing surrounding the peripheral side of the pneumatic tube,` each 'of said shells partially overla pingand closely contacting with the prece ing'. shell, a air of woven metal aprons to anchoran hold said shells centrally Jwith respeet to the tread of the tire, the upper edges of said belts being connected with the opposite ed es of said shells, the lower edge of each lt provided with a plurality of equally spacedanchor-bolts corresponding to the number of said shells, the said anchor-bolts rigidly embedded in the material of said outerv casing, and a'leather .jnltetsurrounding said armor and' belts to protect them from contact with. said outer casing.

In testimony whereof I aiix my signature 1`n presence of two witnesses.

EUGENE J. c.' TIMERMAN. l

i Witnesses: Y f l EDWARD F. SHEA,

overlappingen-shaped armor shells forin- 

